God, and abusing of Men. All the Authority in the World cannot make any Thing an Article of Faith, but what God has made so; neither can any Power establish or impose upon Men, more or less, or otherwise than what the Scripture commands. God has given every Man proportionable Faculties and Abilities of Mind, some stronger and some weaker; and he has by his own Authority made the Scripture the Rule of Religion to them all: It is therefore their indispensable Duty to examine diligently, and study attentively this Rule, to instruct themselves in the Knowledge of religious Truths from hence, and to form the best Judgment they can of the Nature of them. The Scripture will extend or contract itself according to the Capacities of Men: The strongest and largest Understanding will there find enough to fill and improve it, and the narrowest and meanest Capacity will fully acquiesce in what is there required of it. Thus all Men are obliged to form a Judgment of Religion for themselves, and to be continually rectifying and improving it: They may be very helpful and assisting to each other in the Means of coming to this Divine Knowledge, but no one can finally determine for another; every Man must judge for himself; and for the Sincerity of his Judgment he is accountable to God only, who knows the Secrets of all Hearts, which are beyond the Reach of human Power: This must be left till the final Day of Account, when every a 2 every Man shall be acquitted or condemned according as he has acted by the Dictates of his Conscience or no. Were all Christians to go upon this Principle, we should soon see an End of all the fierce Controversies and unhappy divisions which now rend and confound the Church of Christ: Were every Man allowed to take the Scripture for his only Guide in Matters of Faith, and after all the Means of Knowledge and Instruction used, all the Ways of Assurance and Conviction tried, permitted quietly to enjoy his own Opinion, the Foundation of all Divisions would be taken away at once: And till Christians do arrive at this Temper of Mind, let them not boast that they are endued with that excellent Virtue of Charity, which is the distinguishing Mark of their Profession; for if what St. Paul says be true, that Charity is greater than Faith, it is evident no Christian ought to be guilty of the Breach of a greater Duty upon Account of a lesser: They ought not to disturb that Peace and Unity which ought to be amongst all Christians, for the Sake of any Matters of Faith, any Differences of Opinion; because it is contrary to the known Law of Charity: And how far the greatest Part of Christians will clear themselves of transgressing this plain Law, I know not. Wherefore, if ever we expect to have our Petitions answered, when we pray that God would make us one Flock under one Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls, Jesus Christ; we must cease to make needless Fences Fences of our own, and to divide ourselves into small separate Flocks, and distinguish them by that whereby Christ has not distinguished them. When this Spirit of Love and Unity, of forbearing one another in Meekness, once becomes the prevailing Principle amongst Christians; then, and not till then, will the Kingdom of Christ in its highest Perfection and Purity flourish upon the Earth, and all the Powers of Darkness fall before it. JOHN CLARKE. |